Harry l



H. L. MARTIN.

SPRING GEAR FOR VEHICLES.

(No Model.)

No. 600,495. Patented Mar. 8,1898.

1 Manta 1.-

UNTED STATES PATENT FFICE.

HARRY L. MARTIN, OF ELIZABETIITOWVN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND HIRAM H. NISSLEY, OF SAME PLACE.

SPRING-GEAR FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 600,495, dated March 8, 1898. Application filed May 28, 1897. Serial No. 688,536. (No model.)

To ctZZ whont it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY L. MARTIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elizabethtown, in the county of Lancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Low-Hung and Short-Turn Vehicles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in a low-hung and short-turn vehicle of that class known to the trade as a platform-spring wagon, in which the body, having a low-down central portion, is supported rearwardly on side springs rigidly secured to the rear axle and forwardly by a specially constructed spring-platform, constituting the chief feature of the invention, rigidly affixed to the forward axle.

The obj cot of the invention is the construction of a wagon that will turn, practically, within its own space, giving easy ingress to, as well as egress from, its body, being especially adapted to the convenient delivery of milk, bread, and the like, or such other purposes wherein the driver has to often dismount and remountget out of and thereinto again.

The elements of the invention will severally and at large appear in the following description, and they will be separately and collectively set forth in the claims.

The purposes of the invention are attained by the mechanism and devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, similar reference characters designating like parts throughout the several views, in which-- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wagon embodying the elements of the invention with the near wheels removed for better viewing, the axles appearing in section, and a portion of the off rear wheel broken away for want of room in the drawings; Fig. 2, an enlarged top view of the spring-platform detached from Fig. 1 with the axle ends broken away; Fig. 3, a sectional elevation, viewed from below, of the portion above the line 0c 00 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a view from the left of Fig. 3 completed with bars and springs at the points to v y z appearing in transverse vertical section; Fig. 5, a reduced elevation, viewed from the left, of the sway-bar as it appears in position on the left of Fig. 2, showing a trussed rod underneath bracing said bar; Fig. 6, an inverted plan of the eccentric segmental fifth-wheel detached from Fig. 2, showingsupporting-spools or tubular posts in position on the under portion of said fifth-wheel; andFig. 7, an enlarged view from the left of the portion included between the points to w in Fig. 1, showing the attachment of the forward ends of the rearward springs to the body.

In a vehicle of the character referred to in the opening paragraphs hereto A designates an inclosed body having a low-down central portion a, with its bottom a prescribed distance above the ground, making it easy or convenient for the attendant to step thereinto or therefrom,without the usual steps,through a slide-door A, giving ready ingress or egress, one being on each side and provided with a hand-grip or handle a, wherewith to move the same, while in the upper portion A designates lights, Whose sash a may be fixed in position or they may be movable, opening and closing as car or coach windows do, and underneath, forwardly and rearwardly of the low-down portion, are formed recesses A A, in which are placed the axles and their appendages supporting said body.

In the rearward recess A above mentioned, is placed a bolster-bar B, on which the body rests and which extending in length across the width of the body has at the extremities thereof upturned bolster-brackets B, provided with horizontal flanges b, rigidly secured by bolts and nuts I) to the tops of the thick ends of quarter-elliptic spring-arms B having their thin ends pivoted by bolts and nuts 12 to the thin rearward ends of semielliptic spring-arms B with their thick portions secured to the top of the rear end axle B by clips, plates, strips, and nuts I) and their forward thin ends folded over into transverse tubular eyes b and pivoted to the sides of the body, as between the points 20 w in Fig. 1, but better shown in Fig. 7, plates B having been secured to the outer faces of the body, with the eyed spring ends resting thereagainst, and brace-rods B passing over said spring ends and having their extremities also secured to saidouter faces by bolts I)", while bolts B passing through said sides, said plates, said eyes and rods,with nuts b screwed home on their threaded ends, serve to complete said pivot-joints, securing said spring ends in place. It will here be noted that the upturned brackets B, above mentioned, may be omitted, the bolster bar B remaining straight, with its extremities resting on top ofsaid spring ends and rigidly secured thereto without disclosing any new idea; but the body will then be proportionally higher.

In the forward recess A, before mentioned, a spring-platform Ois arranged, and in order that it may properly perform its functionsthe following construction will be observed,

. its novelty consisting in the shape and arrangement of the spring members; in the construction and arrangement of the fifthwheel, placing its center eccentrically rear ward of the axle-center, the humps or backs of the top members of said springs entering the circle of its motion; in trussing and bracing the sway-bar, to which-the forward ends of said spring members are pivoted, as well as in pivoting said platform to the vehiclebody. In this construction two practically elliptic springs C are used, each having two members C and C the upper ones, C being straight in plan and the lower ones, 0 somewhat S-shaped, but oppositely disposed, with their rearward ends pivoted together by bolts and nuts 0 and their forward ends separately pivoted to hangers c, secured to the under faces of the sway-bar C by clips 0 in a manner well known to the trade, said sway-bar having been braced by a rod C trussed underneath, and rods 0 having their extremities secured thereto, as well as to the forward end axle 0, with its forward face, near the extremities thereof, provided with pivot ears or jaws c for coupling thereto the usual thill or pole irons. (Not shown.) It will here be noted that the upper members of the spring lie practically close together in parallel vertical planes, one being on each side of the center, while the lower members extend diagon'ally outwardly and forwardly, diverging across the front end axle C, with their forward ends well toward the extremities ofthe sway-bar, distributing the supporting strain from the center of said axle and having their heaviest portions secured thereto by clips plates, strips, and nuts 0 in the usual way. A prescribed plate 0 directly above the forward axle, is rigidly secured to the under side of the upper members, as by clips 0 holding said members laterally in place, while centrally to the under side of said plate is rigidly secured a reach or brace bar 0 having its forward end mortised into the sway-bar, as shown, and its rearward end curved upward to the pivot-center provided with a pivot-lug 0, having a vertical pivot-orifice for the platform-pivoting or king bolt, yet to be described. At prescribed points on the upper face of the plate O are erected spools or tubular posts 0 and at the same radial distance on the upper face of the bar 0 is erected a post 0 all of which posts having their upper ends in the same horizontal plane support the circular segmental fifth-wheel D of the invention in having its under portion 01 resting thereon and secured in place by bolts and nuts 01, passing through the posts, with their heads countersunk into the upper face and nuts screwed home on their lower ends likewise holding said posts in place; but the countersunk heads and nuts are not shown in the drawings. The upper portion d resting on top of the lower portion, is provided with a downwardly-projecting peripheral flange, forming a recess, in which said lower portion moves, the upper portion being also provided wit-h a cross-plate d three of its arms having their extremities rigidly joined to its upper face, the forwardly-projecting arm having a downwardly-extending and retroverted lip d overlying said flange and overlapping said under portion, and the rearwardly-projecting arm is provided at the pivot-centerwith an orifice d for the kingbolt before mentioned, while said cross-plate is secured to the under faces of a bolster D and its central perch-block D as by screws or bolts d", with the body secured to their upper faces and a king-bolt D having its head recessed into the top of the rearward extension of the block D with its shaft passing through the orifice d and through the pivotlug c and a nut d screwed home thereto on its threaded end, serves to complete the pivotjoint, coupling said platform and body together, completing the low-down shortturn vehicle of the invention.

Now the several parts hereinbefore described and occupying the respective positions indicated in the drawings an inspection thereof clearly shows, first, that the arrangement of the spring members removes the weight of the body from the center of the forward axle, distributing it to the sides thereof; second, that the truss-rod 0 together with the end rods 0 all serve to brace the sway-bar, materially strengthening or stiffening the spring platform or gear; third, that the tops of the upper members of the springs in extending upwardly to within the circular movement of the fifth-wheel allow the body to occupy a low-down position above the forward end axle; fourth, that the rear ends of the springs in being close together will not move much beyond the straight line joining the said ends, allowing them to be placed in close proximity to the forward end wall of the central depression fifth,that theupturned bolster-brackets in having their horizontal flanges resting on top of the rearward spring members allow the body to occupy a low-down position above the rearward end axle, and, sixth, that the rods 13 in passing over the forward ends of the rearward spring members and in being secured thereto by the pivoting-bolts serve to brace their pivot-joints, strengthening the rearward spring rigging or gear.

Having now described the invention, ascertained and shown the manner in which it is performed, what I do consider new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a vehicle of the character described, a forward end spring platform or gear com prising: a forward end wheel-axle and a forward end sway-bar parallel therewith but situated in a higher plane, with a trussed rod underneath, brace-rods connecting itsextremities to the axle, and shaft or pole iron pivoting ears secured to its forward face; practically S-shaped lower spring members arranged diagonally across and secured to the top of said axle, with their rear ends close together, one being on each side of the longitudinal center line, and their forward ends pivoted to the sway-bar well toward the extremities thereof; verticallyarranged and parallel upper spring members having their rearward ends pivoted to the rearward ends of said lower spring members, and their forward ends also pivoted to the sway-bar; a

fifth-wheel-supporting plate, directly above the axle, rigidly secured to the under sides of said upper spring members, and a central reach or perch bar rearwardly secured to the under face of said plate and having its forward end rigidly secured to said sway-bar, with its rearwardly upwardly curved end at the pivot-center and having a pivot-lug with a pivot-orifice for the king-bolt; fifth-wheelsupporting columns or posts secured to the upper faces of said plate and reach-bar, with the under member of a segmental fifth-wheel secured to the tops of said posts; the upper member of said segmental fifth-wheel mounted on said under member, and having its cross-arms rigidly secured to the under faces of a bolster and perch-block, as shown, with its rearwardly-extended arm projected over the pivot-center, and having a pivot-orifice at said center; and a king-bolt, withits head recessed into said block, passed through said orifice and through the orifice of said pivotlug, with a nut screwed home on its threaded end, all substantially as described and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

2. The combination in a vehicle of the character described, with a body, having a lowdown central portion, and a recess or cut-under at each end thereof, and a short-turn spring-platform, such as described, in the forward one of said recesses, of a bolster-bar secured under the bottom in said rearward recess, upturned bolster-brackets with horizontal flanges at their outer ends and integral with the extremities of said bolster bar, quarter-elliptic spring members having their heavy ends secured to the under sides of said flanges and their thin ends rearwardly extended, semi-elliptic spring members having their rearward thin ends pivoted to the rearward thin ends of said quarter members, and their forward thin ends pivoted to the sides of the body as shown, with their thick portions secured to the top of the rear end wheelaxle as shown, all substantially'as described and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY L. MARTIN.

. Witnesses:

A. F. SHENcK, DANIEL H. HERB. 

